Project follows Jestico & Whiles鈥 scheme

Rafael Vinoly has been appointed to design the 拢60 million Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre at Manchester University.

With construction due to start in 2017, the new centre is intended to complement the university鈥檚 UK National Graphene Institute, designed by Jestico & Whiles and due to open this year.

Half the funds for the project are coming from Abu Dhabi renewable energy firm Masdar, with a further 拢15 million from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund.

The centre will house researchers into the properties and uses of graphene, a pure and very strong form of carbon.

Mel Manku, partner at project and cost manager EC Harris, described Vinoly鈥檚 team as 鈥渁n exceptional design team鈥.

He said: 鈥淭here are very interesting times ahead for graphene and we鈥檙e extremely keen to play our part in its development.

鈥淭he centre will be a cutting-edge facility that the university and the city can be rightly proud of.鈥